![]() |
Bubonic plague symptoms appear suddenly, usually after 2-5 days of exposure to the bacteria. Symptoms include: High fever; Chills; General ill feeling (malaise; Muscle pain; Severe headache; Seizures. Pneumonic plague symptoms appear suddenly, typ...
|
|
|
Fleas carry the bacterium Yersinia pestis. When a flea bites an infected rodent, it swallows the plague bacteria. The bacteria is passed on when the fleas, in turn, bite a human. Interestingly, the plague bacterium grows in the gullet of the flea,...
|
![]() |
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.
|
|
New and severe abdominal pain always needs to be closely evaluated by a doctor. It is frequently a sign of serious illness.
|
|
Repeated episodes of abdominal pain can arise from a variety of medical causes, including some serious conditions. Everyone who has unexplained abdominal pain requires a medical evaluation by a doctor.
|
|
Most of the time, children with mild abdominal pain are not seriously ill; the symptoms go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, if your child has severe abdominal pain or has a bellyache along with frequent vomiting, you should contact your child's pediatrician.
|
|
Abdominal pain is very common in children, and in many cases there’s no serious cause. But stomach pain can sometimes point to a serious problem, such as appendicitis, so it is important to know when to seek help.
|
|
Blood-tinged sputum is distinguished from frank hemoptysis—or coughing up blood without or with very little sputum—which can be a potentially life-threatening condition requiring immediate medical attention. Sputum that is streaked with blood may be due to something as benign as irritation of upper-airway passages due to dry ambient air, or it may a sign of a more serious medical condition, such as pneumonia or a blood clot in the lung, especially if accompanied by other symptoms..
|
|
Chills are a sensation of cold from exposure to a cold environment or an episode of shivering with paleness and a feeling of coldness.
|
|
Chills is the common name for a feeling of coldness accompanied by shivering and possibly fever . Causes & symptoms Chills may occur due to the following reasons: Exposure to extremely low outside temperature.
|
![]() |
Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. However, excessive coughing may mean you have an underlying disease or disorder. Some coughs are dry, while others are considered productive. A productive cough is one that brings up mucus. Mucus is also called phlegm or sputum. Coughs can be either acute or chronic: Acute coughs usually begin suddenly. They are often due to a cold , flu , or sinus infection. They usually go away after 2 to 3 weeks. Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks.
|
|
Coughs, those mini-explosions in your throat, are valuable weapons in your body's self-defense arsenal. Their assignment: keep airways clear by quickly expelling intruders from the lower respiratory system -- principally your throat and upper lungs. If dust, fluid, viruses, bacteria or even tumors block any part of this region, your cough reflex takes explosive action.
|
|
Your doctor should evaluate you if you are having symptoms that suggest a more serious cause, such as a bacterial infection, or if your symptoms aren't manageable with over-the-counter remedies or the passing of time.
|
|
A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.
|
|
A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.
|
|
A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.
|
|
Coughing up blood is the spitting up of blood or bloody mucus from the lungs and throat (respiratory tract).
|
|
Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or bloody sputum from the respiratory tract. The blood can come from the nose, mouth, throat, airway passages leading from the lungs, or the lungs.
|
|
Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or bloody sputum from the lungs or airway. It may be either self-limiting or recurrent.
|
![]() |
Diarrhea is loose, watery, and frequent stool. Diarrhea is considered chronic (long-term) when you have had loose or frequent stools for more than 4 weeks.
|
|
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Diarrhea From ChemotherapyDiarrhea can occur in cancer patients for a number of reasons. The tumor itself can bring on this side effect, as can changes in diet or an infection in the intestine.
|
|
Oncology: Controlling DiarrheaDiarrhea(loose stools) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Diarrhea results when treatment affects the normal cells lining the intestine.
|
|
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Detailed information on traveler's diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
If your diarrhea is substantial, if you have other unexplained symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, or blood in your bowel movements, or if your diarrhea has persisted for more than five days, you should visit with your doctor to discuss your symptoms.
|
|
We all dread diarrhea. But when the patient is your infant or toddler, diarrhea can range from a minor annoyance to a medical emergency.
|
|
Common causes of diarrhea in babies include infections of the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract) or changes in diet. Most cases of diarrhea are not serious, go away in a day or two and can be managed at home.
|
|
Answering the questions in this tool will help you understand more about the possible causes of diarrhea in children, and will help you decide when to call your doctor.
|
|
To most persons, diarrhea means an increased frequency or softer consistency of bowel movements; however, the medical definition is more exact than this. Diarrhea best correlates with an increase in stool weight; stool weights above 300 g per day generally indicates diarrhea.
|
|
Sometimes a person feels hot to touch due to illness or environmental situation that
causes elevated core temperature. A compounding factor can be dehydration (lack of
fluids.
|
![]() |
Normal body temperature varies by person, age, activity, and time of day. The average normal body temperature is 98.6?F (37?C).
|
|
|
A fever is any body temperature elevation over100.4 ? F (38 ? C).
|
|
Detailed information on fevers in children
|
|
A fever is a special cause for concern in infants younger than 3 months of age. Parents and caregivers should be most concerned with changes in eating or sleeping habits, coughing, pain or other marked changes.
|
|
Fever is defined as an abnormally high body temperature or a regulated rise to a new set point of body temperature. While a body temperature above 100 ? F(37.
|
|
|
A fever is any body temperature elevation over 100 ? F (37.8 ? C).
|
|
An elevated body temperature. While the standard for normal body temperature is 98.
|
|
Normal body temperature varies somewhat from one individual to another but displays a general range and pattern around the " normal " temperature of 98.6 ? F.
|
|
One minute you're hot; the next, you're chilled and your teeth chatter. You've got a fever. But look on the bright side: Fever seems to serve a helpful function in the body.
|
|
Buying a thermometer isn't as easy as it used to be. You face an array of choices. But the decision doesn't have to be hard. Like temperature, it's a matter of degrees.
|
|
Most medical professionals agree a fever by itself is not an illness; it is a symptom of an underlying problem. Fevers actually can be a positive sign the body is fighting an infection. However, a fever can cause discomfort for a child.
|
|
A fever is a way for the body to fight infection. But it may also be a sign of a serious illness, especially in children younger than 3 months and children who haven't been immunized. Know when to seek medical care for your child.
|
|
Detailed information on fever, including when to call your physician
|
|
The best way to take an infant's temperature is rectally with a digital thermometer (never use a glass mercury thermometer). Taking the temperature under the arm, or using an ear thermometer, is less exact.
|
|
Use a digital thermometer to take your child's temperature; never use a glass mercury thermometer. Most children aged three years and older can hold a thermometer under their tongue. If your child is younger than that, or you're having difficulty with the oral method, talk to your doctor about the best way to take his temperature.
|
|
Detailed information on children and fever, including symptoms and treatment
|
|
Hyperthermia is the use of therapeutic heat to treat various cancers on and inside the body. Purpose The purpose of hyperthermia is to shrink and hopefully destroy cancer without harming noncancerous cells.
|
|
Hyperthermia involves raising the body ' s core temperature as a means of eradicating tumors. The treatment simulates fever .
|
|
Children can become cranky, fussy or irritable for many reasons. Often it's because they're hungry or just tired. But sometimes irritability can be a sign of illness in children.
|
![]() |
A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are extremely rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better by making lifestyle changes, learning ways to relax, and occasionally by taking medications. See also: Tension headache Cluster headache Migraine with aura Migraine without aura
|
|
A headache involves pain in the head which can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself. There are three types of primary headaches: tension-type (muscular contraction headache), migraine (vascular headaches), and cluster.
|
|
|
Headache is a pain in the head and neck region that may be either a disorder in its own right or a symptom of an underlying medical condition or disease. The medical term for headache is cephalalgia.
|
|
A headache involves pain in the head that can arise from many disorders or may be a disorder in and of itself. Headaches can be categorized as primary or secondary.
|
|
Detailed information on headaches, including the different types of headaches and statistics relating to headaches
|
|
Low blood pressure, or hypotension, occurs when blood pressure during and after each heart beat is much lower than usual. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body do not get enough blood. Dizziness or lightheadedness can result. See also: Blood pressure
|
|
Hypotension is the medical term for low blood pressure. The pressure of the blood in the arteries rises and falls as the heart and muscles handle demands of daily living, such as exercise , sleep and stress .
|
|
Doctors often consider chronically low blood pressure too low only if it drops suddenly or causes noticeable symptoms.
|
|
While recommended healthy blood pressure levels have decreased, lowering diastolic pressure too much could deprive the heart of needed blood flow, which could be dangerous for people with coronary artery disease.
|
|
Preliminary studies show that a promising new drug may treat the symptoms of low blood pressure.
|
|
Malaise is a generalized feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being that can be associated with a disease state. It can be accompanied by a sensation of exhaustion or inadequate energy to accomplish usual activities.
|
![]() |
Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle. Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs together. See also muscle cramps and joint pain .
|
![]() |
Nausea is the sensation of having an urge to vomit. Vomiting is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.
|
|
A Recipe to Ease Nausea: Gingerbread With Brown Sugar Meringue"Gingerbread. Ginger cookies.
|
|
Nausea is the sensation of having a queasy stomach or being about to vomit. Vomiting , or emesis, is the expelling of undigested food through the mouth.
|
|
Will excess fluid in the ear cause dizziness and nausea?
David Vernick, M.D. is assistant clinical professor of otology and laryngology at Harvard Medical School and interim chief of the Division of Otology and Laryngology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
|
|
Definition and classification Pain is a universal human experience. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as " an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.
|
|
Expert-reviewed information summary about pain as a complication of cancer or its treatment. Approaches to the management and treatment of cancer-associated pain are discussed.
|
|
Pain, medically termed "nociception," is a response to noxious stimuli that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons . The discomfort signals actual or impending injury to the body.
|
|
Communicating About PainResourcesAmerican Pain Foundation888-615-7246www.painfoundation.orgAmerican Chronic Pain Associationwww.theacpa.orgThe National Pain Foundation www.painconnection.orgYou have a right to have pain treated. Untreated pain can...
|
|
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
|
|
Measuring Your PainA pain scale helps you rate pain intensity. In the scale, 0 means no pain, and 10 is the worst pain possible.
|
|
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. The discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body.
|
|
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by nerves in the body. Pain arises from any number of situations.
|
|
This comprehensive report describes the many causes of pain, the latest treatments, and the best preventive strategies.
|
|
I have recurring sores in my mouth, most generally on the sides of my tongue, and the tip of my tongue gets very tender and sore. Do I have a vitamin deficiency? What else could be the cause of this?
|
|
Children who experience verbal abuse are at as much risk for developing anxiety or depression as those who are abused physically or sexually. This may be due to the fact that verbal abuse is likely to persist over a lengthy period of time.
|
|
Examines the role of forgiveness in personal health and happiness, ranging from reduced stress to improved relationships.
|
|
A seizure is a sudden change in behavior due to an excessive electrical activity in the brain.
|
|
A seizure is a sudden change in behavior characterized by changes in sensory perception (sense of feeling) or motor activity (movement) due to an abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizures that may include repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions.
|
|
Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
A seizure is a sudden change in behavior characterized by changes in sensory perception (sense of feeling) or motor activity (movement) due to an abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain . Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizures that may include repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions.
|
|
Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
A temporary series of uncontrollable muscle spasms brought on by unusual electrical activity in the brain. Also known as convulsion, clonic seizure, or tonic-clonic seizure.
|
|
Detailed information on epilepsy and seizures, including the different types of seizures, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
|
|
Children with epilepsy may have seizures only once in a while, or every day. Though seizures can be scary for parents and caregivers, they aren’t painful and are usually brief.
|
|
First Aid: SeizuresA seizure results from a sudden rush of abnormal electrical signals in the brain. Symptoms may range from a minor daze to uncontrollable muscle spasms(convulsion).In some cases, the victim may even lose consciousness.
|
|
Although not a psychiatric disorder, epilepsy has a psychiatric aspect. The link is manifested in similar, often overlapping, symptoms, so it is important that caregivers diagnose and treat their patients with care.
|
|
People with certain mental conditions can experience seizures that appear to be epilepsy but are actually psychogenic seizures. Studies are finding ways to distinguish between the two types to facilitate proper treatment.
|
|
How does estrogen use and menopause affect someone with a seizure disorder?
|
![]() |
Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. This can damage multiple organs. Shock requires IMMEDIATE medical treatment and can get worse very rapidly.
|
|
Shock is a medical emergency in which the organs and tissues of the body are not receiving an adequate flow of blood. This deprives the organs and tissues of oxygen (carried in the blood) and allows the buildup of waste products.
|
|
Shock occurs when the body ' s organs and tissues do not receive an adequate flow of blood . Inadequate blood flow deprives the organs and tissues of oxygen and allows the buildup of waste products.
|
![]() |
Breathing difficulties involve a sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing or a feeling of not getting enough air. See also difficulty breathing - first aid.
|
|
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a feeling of difficult or labored breathing that is out of proportion to the patient ' s level of physical activity. It is a symptom of a variety of different diseases or disorders and may be either acute or chronic.
|
|
Struggling to Breathe: A Nurse’s Tips for Managing DyspneaDyspnea is the technical word for difficulty breathing. It's a common symptom in people who have lung cancer or have cancer that has spread to the lungs.
|
|
Detailed information on the most common breathing problems in a newborn
|
|
Severe shortness of breath and shortness of breath accompanied by certain symptoms requires immediate medical attention.
|
|
If your child cannot seem to get enough breath in his lungs (shortness of breath) or is having a hard time breathing, he probably has a medical condition that needs treatment. If your child is old enough to talk, he can tell you that he is having difficulty breathing. If your child is younger, you may notice that he is breathing harder or faster than usual, isn't feeding well, or is cranky.
|
|
For the past two months I have experienced increased shortness of breath. I have chronic asthma, but there's concern the shortness of breath could be caused by a blockage in heart. I have experienced difficulties in the past when anesthetized. Is there an effective alternative to heart catheterization? I've read about a new CT scan ? is it recommended?
|
|
I had a quadruple bypass seven years ago. A few months back I found myself taking frequent short breaths when I climbed the stairs. Once I stopped exerting myself, my breathing soon returned to normal. Is this due to a problem with my heart or lungs?
|
|
Shortness of breath may be a warning sign of heart disease.
Chest pain is a near-universal signal of heart disease. Shortness of breath may be an equally valuable tip-off.
|
![]() |
The term "swollen glands" refers to enlargement of one or more lymph nodes. In a child, a node is enlarged if it is larger than one centimeter (0.4 inch) in diameter. See also lymphadenitis and lymphangitis .
|